The chamber of the heart with the thickest wall is the _ because it _.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The chamber of the heart with the thickest wall is the left ventricle because it has to pump blood with high pressure throughout the entire body.
Explanation:
The heart has four chambers: two atria (right and left) and two ventricles (right and left). Among these, the left ventricle has the thickest muscular wall. This structural difference is directly related to the function each chamber performs.
- Function of the Left Ventricle
The left ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygen-rich blood from the lungs out to the rest of the body through the systemic circulation. This means it must generate a high amount of pressure to push blood through the extensive network of arteries, arterioles, and capillaries that supply all body tissues. Because the systemic circulation covers a much larger area and offers more resistance to blood flow compared to the pulmonary circulation (which only goes to the lungs), the left ventricle needs a thick muscular wall to produce enough force. - Comparison with Other Chambers
- Right ventricle: Pumps blood only to the lungs (pulmonary circulation), which is a short distance and has lower resistance. Therefore, the right ventricle’s wall is thinner than that of the left ventricle.
- Atria: Both atria only receive blood and pump it into the ventricles, which is a low-pressure task. Hence, their walls are much thinner.
- Muscle Thickness and Blood Pressure
The thickness of the ventricular wall corresponds to the pressure it must generate. The left ventricle generates systolic pressures around 120 mm Hg, whereas the right ventricle only needs to generate about 25 mm Hg to push blood into the lungs. The thicker muscle in the left ventricle also helps it withstand the mechanical stress from contracting with greater force repeatedly over a lifetime.
In summary, the left ventricle has the thickest wall because it needs to pump blood at high pressure to the entire body, requiring a stronger and more muscular structure than the other heart chambers.